CBS Brings Video Ads To Print; Won't Save Magazines

CBS will run what it is calling the first video ad to ever run in a magazine.

According to CBS marketing president George Schweitzer, a video ad will be included in an insert of the September 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly. It will promote the network’s Monday primetime lineup this Fall and will also be produced in conjunction with CBS advertiser Pepsi Max.

The ad will only be seen by subscribers in NYC and LA and was produced in conjunction with a division of ad agency Omnicom Group. It’s based on tech from a company called Americhip, and can support up to 40 minutes of playback, according to CNET.

Nice trick, but this kind of stuff is not going to save magazines. Entertainment Weekly will likely receive a higher rate for the ad, but magazines still face the challenge of retaining readers and advertisers, which continue to migrate online. All this while faced with burdensome printing and distribution costs.